Derrick, sniffling and trying to make himself appear more vulnerable, slowly spoke in a tone much lighter than before. Sighing in response, I tried answering in the most basic manner possible.
“You do realize I was trying to use Adam’s ability as well—probably for a similar reason to you. It’s much easier to build when someone can reconstruct the materials effortlessly. I’m guessing the blueprints were intentional. If Adam didn’t have any real engineering knowledge, he could at least follow instructions.”
Derrick’s eyes darted around the space, trying to capture every detail. They finally landed on me, and I noticed a subtle change in his demeanor.
“Sure, you were trying to use his abilities too, but I very much doubt you can stick two pieces of wood together, let alone create something. My opinion might change if you tell me what this space is—and how it’s made. Did you make it on your own, or was it the system?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to manipulate me by playing the emotional card?”
Derrick’s tears stopped instantly. His eyes shut tight like he was rebooting himself, and then—
“No. But… is it working though?” He cracked one eye open, lips twitching at the corners.
I stared at him, unamused.
“I have a health condition,” he added quickly, almost too defensively. “I hit my head on a rock when I was little.”
“I have one too. I burned myself somewhere when I was little. My receptors are dulled.”
He paused. “But seriously, how do you plan to help me create blueprints? Maybe I’d believe you if you told me what your class was. Or how I even got here.”
I tilted my head. “Actually, I’m more curious about how your brain sees things. Look around. What do you see? What comes to mind?”
He glanced around again, this time more thoughtfully.
“I’d guess you’re some kind of summoner, judging by the monster blueprints on display,” he said, nodding toward the new creatures I’d been imagining. “Am I close?”
“So how did you get in here, anyway?” I asked, the edge returning to my voice. “Because unless you’re system-authorized or I invited you... this place doesn’t exactly have a front door.”
System Prompt:
I allowed him in because the reason for this space’s creation was originally his blueprint. Sorry, but you have about 30 minutes before the space shuts down for the day, so please get a move on.
Also—your husband is about to die.
Looking up, I saw Derrick staring at a similar message from the system. We looked at each other, sighed softly, then shrugged.
“Looks like I won’t have to talk to him.”
“You still owe me snacks, and don’t you forget it. Marvin.”
My facial expression dropped. “Who the hell is Marvin?”
“I have a health condition, okay? So I don’t remember names well. Unless the people are above-average looking.”
“What’s your husband’s name?” I asked.
I didn’t get to finish. I swiftly dropped to the floor as a ball of plasma scorched the air where my head used to be.
The culprit was standing there, another ball of plasma forming in his hand, already in a fighting stance.
“Just because I’m an engineer with a whole lot of patience doesn’t mean I won’t kill you.”
I had no choice but to hold my stomach as laughter escaped.
My laughter didn’t very long when I was dropped on my face. Looking out I was looking at what now looked plain compared to my safety cube. The major difference was a large number of metal pillars sticking out of the ground.
Derrick and I exchanged a knowing look
“ Do you think he got mad we disappeared? “ Derrick asked
“ I think this was a setup and that dwarf caused it. I think next time we met him we need to teach him a lesson about blurting out about marriage.“
Derrick dusted himself off, squinting at the iron-studded landscape. “This feels like a battlefield arena,” he muttered, eyeing the spires warily. “You think we got dumped into a challenge zone?”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
I pushed myself up, the residual sting in my cheek reminding me that system transports were anything but gentle. “So, how long do you think we were gone, 30 minutes, a thousand years. I said, Derrick didn’t reply, formed a condensed sphere of plasma that stretched into it formed a shield.
I thought I should follow in his footsteps. System status window set deck chant
“ System Prompt
[Statistics]
Level 2: Exp 0/25
2 attribute points
Life Force: 17 Intelligence:
17 Physical Power:
15 Physique:
15 Magic Power:
17 Mana:
125/125 Mana Regeneration:
2 Fortitude:
Skills: Expand:
Would you like to set a deck chant? The longer the chant, the less mana it takes to actualize. Keep in mind, deck chants are a fast way of summoning the deck, so it should be able to be said in a reasonable frame.
“ So deck chants it should be short and sweet. With forty or more cards in the deck full of monsters could be called a legion. The nature of summoning could be Spirit. So I spirit, and legion.” So how about March, my spirit legion? As I was about to set the chant, a loud explosion rang out. Loud clouds of smoke rose in
What in the rising tarnation is that? Derrick screamed out as more explosions rang out.
“ What, you sound like you’re 80, great idea. System set deck chant
Ok, how about this, rise my Spirit legion?
“ System Prompt are you sure once set deck chant can’t be changed for 7 days.
“Yeah,” I muttered, eyes locked on the smoke cloud twisting in the distance. “I’m sure.”
System Prompt:
Deck Chant Registered: Rise, my Spirit Legion
Deck Access Shortcut: Vocal Command Activated.
Cooldown: 7 Days.
The air around me pulsed, my mana syncing with the system like a heartbeat locking into rhythm. I could feel my deck respond. The cards I’d crafted—flawed, personal, volatile—stirred in their pocket dimension, waiting like trained hounds at the edge of a whistle.
Another explosion rocked the horizon. It echoed across the metal pillars, and a few of them collapsed in the far distance like dominoes. Whatever was coming was destructive.
“A large blur of colors emerged, streaking through the air like a comet wrapped in chaos. Red, golden, and electric blue swirled at its core, bending light around it in jagged, unnatural patterns. Derrick swore under his breath and took a half-step back, shield humming with unstable plasma as he instinctively raised it between us and the oncoming force.
I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My deck thrummed in my chest, responding to the stimulus like it was tasting the energy on the wind. “ Rise, my Spirit Legion. You know I’m regretting that already.”
For once, my deck’s summoning had no noticeable signaling no warm glow or anything to prove it happened besides five cards appearing.
“ Out of the five cards, two I hadn’t used before.
Effect:
Summons a Water-aligned totem that lasts 4 turns. Defense: 15 per Water Totem Stack. Generates 1 Energy at the start of your turn. Gains 1 Water Totem Stack whenever a Spirit is summoned.If at least 1 other Water-type card is in play, gain the following bonus:
- Water Spirit: Emits a slight passive healing.
- 1+ water spirit: Totems must be destroyed 1 at a time.
- 2+ Water spirit: Soul link if the summoner is attacked the damage that would be done is directed to the highest totem and halved.
- 3+ water spirit: Unleashes the Tidal Bastion — all water totems fuse into a greater construct, gaining triple defense and casting Wave Ward, reducing incoming elemental damage by 30% for the rest of the turn.
The totem’s glow intensified in my hand before I even finished reading. The last line on the card wasn’t etched in the usual crisp system, font—it bled onto the surface, letters swirling like ink in water, as if the card was still evolving. “Tidal Bastion… huh.”
Even though I didn’t say it, only one thing entered my mind: something was majorly wrong with the system.
“ Huh, what are those tarot cards? Are you a fortune teller is that why it took so long to reveal your class? “Derrick's head entered my eyeline as he pushed his head up against the cards. Phasing right through. “
“ System Prompt
Might have given some people a unfair advantage witch is great at all but yall might die in the crossfire. So I’m giving you a small gift don’t say I didn;t do anything for you.
New card type Resource card, would you like to know more. Smiley face Luv system. Also, you left the blueprint to early to give a message arriving now. “
“ System Prompt
Seems like we are getting somewhere while your original class is deckmaster you’re class is defined as a creator class just like builders.
Lifetime quest: The secrets of the deckmaster asylum are hidden deep. Find the blueprint for the key of the dimension trader to unlock the dimension trader.
- Find all ten blueprint fragments
- Recreate the original fragment and then translate.
- Create the Deckmaster’s Authority."